VOASE0223_In the News

23 February 2007

Britain to Withdraw 1,600 Troops in Iraq, and More May Follow
Tony Blair says cuts are possible because of the increased readiness of Iraqi forces to take control. The White House calls the move a ''sign of success.''

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This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced this week that one thousand six hundred British troops will leave Iraq in the coming months.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair

Britain has more than seven thousand troops in Iraq. The forces to be withdrawn are in the Basra area in the south. Most of those remaining will be located at Basra air base. Their tasks will include training and supporting Iraqi forces and securing the border with Iran.

Mister Blair said the withdrawal was possible because of the increased readiness of Iraqi forces to take control. He said he hopes to reduce British troops levels to below five thousand later this year. He says British forces will stay in Iraq into two thousand eight as long as they are wanted and have a job to do.

Tony Blair has said he will leave office by September after ten years as prime minister. The Labor Party leader has lost popularity and has decided not to seek a fourth term.

Britain has been the biggest ally of the United States in Iraq. Britain deployed forty thousand troops for the invasion in two thousand three. That number fell to about nine thousand two years ago.

A spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House had this reaction to the announcement:

"President Bush sees this as a sign of success and what is possible for us once we help the Iraqis deal with the sectarian violence in Baghdad."

The British announcement came as the Bush administration is increasing American troop strength in the Baghdad area. The president recently announced an increase of more than twenty thousand troops in Iraq, raising the number above one hundred fifty thousand.

Baghdad remains the center of violence between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Mister Blair said the situation in the capital cannot be compared to Basra, a Shiite city where attacks are aimed largely at coalition forces.

In addition to the British, about four hundred sixty Danish soldiers under British command in southern Iraq will be withdrawn by August. And Lithuania says it is considering withdrawing its fifty-three troops in southern Iraq.

Britain will remain the second largest foreign military presence in Iraq. South Korea is third. South Korea has deployed more than two thousand troops in the Kurdish-controlled north. But it plans to withdraw half of them soon.

Others with hundreds of troops in Iraq include Georgia, Poland, Romania, Australia and El Salvador. Countries that have already withdrawn include Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Japan and New Zealand.

Vice President Dick Cheney said this week in Japan that terrorists would see it as weakness if American troops left Iraq too soon. Sixty-three percent of Americans in a recent opinion study said they support a withdrawal by two thousand nine.

On Friday, British media reported that Britain is about to announce an additional one thousand troops for Afghanistan. Taleban forces are expected to launch a spring offensive.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I’m Steve Ember.

VOASE0223_Economics Report

23 February 2007

Maker of Cervical Cancer Vaccine Stops Pushing to Require It for Girls
Merck says criticism of its lobbying campaign was interfering with its efforts to gain widespread use of Gardasil.

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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

This week, the drug company Merck announced that it would end a lobbying campaign for Gardasil, its new vaccine for girls and women.

The vaccine is designed to protect against four kinds of human papillomavirus, or HPV. These cause about seventy percent of cervical cancers and ninety percent of genital warts.

The development of the vaccine has been widely praised. But Merck faced growing criticism for its push for states to require schoolgirls to be vaccinated with Gardasil. The company says the criticism was interfering with its goal of widespread use of the vaccine.

The United States Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil last June for females age nine to twenty-six.

At least twenty of the fifty state legislatures have begun to consider some form of Gardasil requirement. In Texas, Governor Rick Perry has ordered that beginning in two thousand eight, girls eleven and twelve years old must be vaccinated with Gardasil. But parents could choose not to, if they object for religious or other reasons.

Critics said politicians were moving too fast. And they accused Mister Perry of being too close to Merck. The company had given money to his re-election campaign. And his former chief of staff is now a Merck lobbyist in Texas.

Critics said the lobbying campaign for required use of Gardasil created a conflict of interest for Merck. Gardasil is a lot more costly than other childhood vaccinations. The vaccine is given as three injections over a six-month period; the complete series cost more than three hundred fifty dollars.

There were also objections on legal and moral grounds. Some parents argued that since HPV is passed during sex, required use of Gardasil might lead to greater sexual activity among young people. Others say required use would violate privacy rights.

Other critics called for more study of Gardasil, especially in younger girls. They note that during studies of the vaccine, ninety-five percent of the subjects were females sixteen and older.

Cervical cancer rates have been dropping in the United States. On average three thousand seven hundred women die from it each year. But cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in poor countries.

In December, Merck said it would work toward providing Gardasil to those countries at a lower price.

Merck competitor GlaxoSmithKline is expected to request federal approval of its own cervical cancer vaccine in April.

And that’s the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Caty Weaver. I'm Steve Ember.

VOASE0222_American Mosaic

22 February 2007

Making Art Out of Common Materials: The Boxes of Joseph Cornell
A question from Vietnam about the Florida Everglades. And listen to some of the music nominated for this year's Academy Awards.

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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson. On our show this week:

We answer a question about the Everglades …

Play some music nominated for an Academy Award …

And report about an artist who builds boxes.

Joseph Cornell

Have you ever heard of art in a box? Joseph Cornell was an important artist best known for his beautifully constructed boxes. A large collection of his interesting artwork was shown recently at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Faith Lapidus tells us more.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

An unnamed work by Joseph Cornell

You could say that Joseph Cornell became an artist because of his love of collecting. Cornell used to spend his free time exploring the street life of New York City in the nineteen twenties. He soon started collecting old books, prints, postcards and even three-dimensional objects that he found in stores that sold used books.

Cornell also attended many museum shows, gallery openings and dance performances. He was influenced by a group of artists called the Surrealists who combined images in unusual and often strange ways.

Joseph Cornell started making his own works by cutting out different pictures and putting them together in creative and magical combinations. Soon, he started making boxes inside of which were carefully arranged pictures and objects. He worked on his art at night after finishing his day job. Later, when his boxes and images started selling and receiving public recognition, he worked on his art full time.

Joseph Cornell died in nineteen seventy-two.The Smithsonian exhibit showed almost two hundred works made during his forty-year career. One work is called “Soap Bubble Set.” A box with a glass window shows a map of the moon, several pictures of sea creatures, two glass cups and two white pipes for smoking. In another box, Cornell combines an image of a cockatoo bird with a music box and watch faces.

Joseph Cornell once said his art was based on everyday experiences. He said that with his art he showed “the beauty of the commonplace.” Visitors who came to this special exhibit found magic in regular objects - and even saw beauty in a box.

The Everglades

HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Nguyen Thanh Duc wants to know about the Everglades National Park in the southern state of Florida.

Part of the Everglades

The Everglades National Park is the third largest national park in the mainland United States. President Harry S. Truman officially established the national park in nineteen forty-seven. He placed almost two hundred thousand hectares of land in the area under federal control.

The parkland has since been expanded several times. The United States now protects more than six hundred thousand hectares of the Everglades. This is only about twenty percent of the Everglades ecosystem.

The Everglades was the first national park established to protect only biological resources. The wetlands are famous around the world for their diversity of wildlife. The United Nations has called the area "a world biological treasure."

The Everglades is really a slow-moving, extremely shallow river that flows south to the ocean. It is filled with sharp, thin sawgrass. This is why the Everglades is sometimes called the River of Grass. The area was also once called the "liquid heart" of Florida.

Forests of palm, cypress, mangrove and pine are also a part of the Everglades. It is home to beautiful plants and sweet-smelling flowers. These include several kinds of the highly prized and rare flower, the orchid.

Many kinds of animals live in the Everglades. Many colorful birds and butterflies live there. So do snakes, frogs, foxes and even big cats, called Florida panthers. But the alligators and crocodiles are probably the animals most identified with the Everglades. No other place in the world is home to both.

However, the Everglades is one of the most endangered national parks in the United States. Human activities and development around the edges of the park threaten the area's health and future. Many of the animals are in danger of disappearing.

More than one million people visit the Everglades National Park each year. The park will celebrate its sixtieth anniversary next December.

Oscar Nominated Songs

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present its seventy-ninth yearly Academy Awards on Sunday. These awards are known as the Oscars. They honor writers, directors, actors and others who helped create the best motion pictures last year. They also honor songs written for those movies. Barbara Klein has more.

BARBARA KLEIN:

One of the five nominated songs was written by Randy Newman for the animated movie "Cars." It is called "Our Town," and is performed by James Taylor.

(MUSIC)

'Dreamgirls,' from left, Sharon Leal, Beyonce Knowles and Anika Noni Rose

A second nominated song was written by Melissa Etheridge. It is called "I Need To Wake Up." It is from the documentary about global warming called "An Inconvenient Truth."

The final three nominated songs all were written by Henry Krieger for the musical movie “Dreamgirls.” The movie is about a group of female singers who become famous during the nineteen sixties. One of the songs is called “Listen.” Beyonce sings it in "Dreamgirls." This song is called "Patience." Eddie Murphy sings it in the movie.

(MUSIC)

We leave you now with the third song nominated from the movie "Dreamgirls." Jennifer Hudson sings "Love You I Do."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. It was written by Dana Demange, Nancy Steinbach and Caty Weaver, who was also our producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

Send your questions about American life to mosaic@voanews.com. Please include your full name and mailing address. Or write to American Mosaic, VOA Special English, Washington, D.C., 20237, U.S.A.

Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.

Southern Philippine Island Plays Out Drama in War on Terror

By Douglas Bakshian Jolo 22 February 2007

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Far from the headlines and the rest of the world a drama in the global war on terror is playing out on Jolo island in the southern Philippines. A Muslim guerrilla group called Abu Sayyaf is on the run from the Philippine military while U.S. water, road, and health projects are making life better for the people. But is it yet time to declare victory? Douglas Bakshian recently traveled to Jolo for a look at things.

Philippines map showing Sulu region where Jolo is located

There is much talk these days in Philippine and U.S. military circles about winning the war on terror on Jolo island, and ending a long struggle against the Abu Sayyaf Islamic terrorist group.

Years of fighting the guerrillas failed to produce peace. So the Philippine military, with the help of U.S. advisers, began addressing civilian needs - roads, schools, water systems and medical care.

By alleviating some of the desperate poverty on Jolo, the military defused some of the anger and frustration that fuels violent movements.

General Juancho Sabban, commander of the Philippines Marines who are in the forefront of the operation, says this is all about winning public support.

"The secret of all these operations should be the people," he said. "If you win the people, you win the war."

The Abu Sayyaf is one of several groups that over the past 30 years have fought to create a Muslim homeland in the southern Philippines, a predominately Christian country. The government has negotiated peace deals or ceasefires with the two dominant militant forces.

Unlike other separatist groups, the Abu Sayyaf has become best known for a series of deadly bombings and brutal kidnappings and murders.

Since 2002, American special forces have provided training, analysis and intelligence to the Philippine military in the fight against the Abu Sayyaf. U.S. Navy Commander James Marvin helps lead the joint task force for the operation. He says the goal is to build confidence in the people that the military is a good thing and to drive a wedge between the terrorists and the people.

"Basically, you take the bullies that are on the playground and you get all the kids on the playground to stick up for themselves, and tell the bullies, 'we don't want you here anymore.' And they are no longer bullies, they cannot function in that capacity and they move," he said.

At the same time, the Philippine military focused its combat effort on smaller patrols conducting intelligence-driven operations that target terrorist leaders. It also adopted guerrilla tactics to fight in the dense jungles of Jolo.

As a result, in recent months, several Abu Sayyaf leaders have been killed, and their followers driven into the hills.

But will this mixture of the missionary approach and the iron fist be enough to eradicate a problem that was decades in the making?

General Sabban says he thinks the Abu Sayyaf leaders will fight to the death.

Radullan Sahiron, in his 70's is the main senior leader left. Sahiron's son, Ismin, was killed in a clash with the military last year. But before he died the general spoke with him by cell phone.

"And I was trying to convince him to come down and live a normal life, go back to the mainstream," he said. "But he said 'we have an ideology that we are fighting for. I'm sorry, we really want to establish an Islamic state.' And then I told him, 'How about your father?' He said, 'my father will die here in Patikul [a Jolo area], fighting. It's either you get out of Sulu, or my father dies here.'"

Some political analysts say the Abu Sayyaf can be wiped out, but that is not enough to bring lasting peace to Jolo. Ramon Casiple, head of Manila's Institute of Political and Electoral Reforms, says the problems that fostered the group's rise must be addressed.

"But if you are asking me if the factors that give rise to Abu Sayyaf have been eliminated, and therefore in the future will there be more Abu Sayyaf? I think these factors have not been eradicated even with all the civic action that has been done already," he said.

Sulu province, which includes Jolo, is one of the poorest regions in the Philippines. It has suffered neglect by the central government and long-standing grievances have powered successive rebellions.

It also has a rigid hierarchical social structure with a few wealthy families at the top and dozens of clans. Casiple says previous development programs in the region have failed because only certain families or groups benefited.

"There are certain sections that have been getting wealthier from all the aid. But the farmer at the bottom level has not improved," he said. "That is the breeding ground of rebellion. I mean you can have a road, but if the family doesn't have a car or a vehicle to use it, it is nothing for them."

For all this to be untangled after so many decades of neglect will require a lot of work, and a fundamental and sustained change in Jolo's economic, social and political structures. More importantly, analysts say, Manila must shift from a policy of neglect to a serious commitment to better the lives of all Jolo's people.

IAEA Says Iran Has Not Suspended Uranium Enrichment

By Peter Heinlein United Nations 22 February 2007

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The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency says Iran has failed to suspend uranium enrichment, in defiance of Security Council demands. From U.N. headquarters, VOA's Peter Heinlein reports the finding clears the way for further sanctions aimed at Iran's suspect nuclear program.

IAEA Board of Governors, Vienna, Austria

A report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency concludes that Iran has expanded uranium enrichment since December, when the Security Council ordered a freeze on such activities. The six-page report says the Tehran government has continued construction of a nuclear reactor that could produce material used in weapons.

国际原子能机构发表的一项报道称伊朗并未按照安理会的要求限制其铀浓缩活动，相反伊朗自十二月起已扩大了铀浓缩的规模。这份六页长的报道称德黑兰政府在继续制造一座能为其提供核武器原料的核反应堆。

Iran has repeatedly denied having any intention to build nuclear weapons, and maintains its enrichment activities are aimed at producing energy.

伊朗方面则反复强调他们造这座反应堆的目的是为了发电，而非想发展核武器。

But the six-page report written by IAEA Director Mohamed ElBaradei says Iran's refusal to cooperate has left the agency unable to verify that its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes. The report also says Iran has installed two uranium enrichment networks at its underground nuclear facility in Natanz, although no uranium has been fed into the system.

国际原子能机构总干事巴拉迪在这份六页长的报道中称，由于缺乏伊朗方面的合作，他们目前还无法确定伊朗的核活动是否可以被认为出于和平目的。在这份报道中，他还写道伊朗在其位于纳坦兹的地下核设施中已安装了两条铀浓缩生产线，不过目前还没有进行任何铀矿石的加工。

The Security Council initially imposed sanctions on Iran in late December, and gave the Tehran government two months to suspend uranium enrichment.

安理会于十二月下旬开始对伊朗实施制裁，它们要求伊朗在两个月内中止铀浓缩活动。

The Islamic republic's failure to comply exposes it to further sanctions. But the Security Council president for February, Slovakia's U.N. Ambassador Peter Burian, says there are no immediate plans to begin discussions on a follow-up resolution.

如果这个伊斯兰共和国不愿意妥协，那它可能会面临进一步的制裁。不过本月的安理会轮值主席，斯洛伐克常驻联合国代表布利安则表示，他们目前还没有打算开始讨论之后的应对方案。

"Of course the presidency will be in contact with all 14 Security Council members, and we will find out whether there is a mood to convene consultations during our presidency or maybe a little bit later," he said. "We will be checking the mood and the interest of the members to deal with the matter."

“当然作为主席我需要与安理会的14个成员国都进行接触，然后我们会根据成员国的意见来决定是否需要在我们的任期内为此事召开会议，还是稍微再等一段时间。我们主要参考的是各成员国的意向及利益。”

U.N. diplomats general reacted cautiously to the IAEA conclusions. A U.S. State Department spokesman expressed disappointment over Iran's failure to comply with the previous Security Council resolution.

联合国的外交官们对国际原子能机构此次所公布的结论都持谨慎态度。一位美国的政府发言人对伊朗未能遵守安理会先前的决议表示失望。

Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said his country, which delayed approval of the earlier resolution through weeks of negotiations, would prefer not to impose new sanctions on Iran.

俄罗斯驻联合国代表丘尔金表示他们倾向于不对伊朗实施新的制裁。俄罗斯在先前的决议中用了数周的时间进行多方会谈，因此也推迟了决议最后出台的日期。

"We should not lose sight of the goal," he said. "The goal is not to have a resolution or to impose sanctions. The goal is to accomplish a political outcome."

“我想我们应时刻清楚自己的目标。我们的目标不是为了制裁，而是为了在政治层面上取得某种进展。”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement in Vienna expressing "deep concern" at Iran's failure to meet the Security Council deadline for suspension of enrichment activities. The statement said Mr. Ban "once again urge(s) the Iranian government (to) fully comply with the demands" and engage in talks with the international community toward a peaceful resolution of the issue.

联合国秘书长潘基文在维也纳发表讲话时说，他对伊朗未能按照安理会所给出的时限来中止其铀浓缩活动而深感忧虑。他再次督促伊朗政府能完全服从联合国所提出的要求并希望其能加强与国际社会之间的交流，以期能使这个问题有一个和平的解决方案。

But a senior Iranian official is quoted as saying Iran cannot accept suspending uranium enrichment. Mohammad Saeedi, the deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, argued that the Security Council's demand has no legal basis.

但据报道称，伊朗的一位高级官员表示伊朗无法接受中止铀浓缩这样的决议。伊朗原子能机构副主席赛义德称安理会所提出的要求毫无法律依据。

中文翻译由Carl提供 PoEnglish感谢致敬！

Coalition Faces Two New Insurgent Tactics in Iraq

By Al Pessin Washington 22 February 2007 Download

The second-ranking U.S. commander in Iraq says his forces are working to counter two new capabilities developed by insurgents - an improved ability to shoot down helicopters and a new type of bomb that involves deadly chlorine gas. The general spoke via satellite from Baghdad to reporters at the Pentagon, and VOA's Al Pessin reports.

US military Apache helicopter releases an anti-missile decoy flair over Baghdad, 15 Feb 2007

Lieutenant General Ray Odierno says eight coalition helicopters have been brought down in the last month, and his forces are beginning to develop some information about how and why that happened.

"We're seeing some common tactics, techniques and procedures, which I don't want to comment on," he said. "And so, we seem to be aware of what they're doing and we're trying to understand what those are, learn about it, so we can protect our aircraft, but more importantly, try to go after the cells."

General Odierno says coalition troops detained a man last week who they believe was a member of one of those cells, and made more arrests in raids during the last few nights. The general believes the cells are affiliated with the al-Qaida terrorist network. General Odierno says protecting the helicopters is essential for the coalition because it relies heavily on the aircraft for safe transport. He reports the coalition will fly about 400,000 hours of helicopter missions this year, nearly double the usage level of two years ago.

General Odierno also discussed the recent use of three chlorine gas bombs by insurgents. He says his forces discovered a supply of the gas at an insurgent bomb factory they raided on Tuesday near Fallujah, along with explosives, detonators and four vehicles in the process of being fitted with large bombs.

"What they're trying to do is try to adapt in such ways where they can continue to create instability," he added. "And that's what they're doing, especially with these chlorine VBIEDs [vehicle borne explosive devices]. That's just another way they're trying to adapt to cause some sort of chaos here in country."

The general says he has seen no indication that Iranians are involved in providing the chlorine bomb capability. Ten days ago, speaking on condition of anonymity, military officials in Baghdad accused top Iranian officials of providing bomb-making technology and materials to the Iraqi insurgents. On Thursday, General Odierno joined other top officials in saying he is not sure whether the Iranian involvement goes to the top of the Tehran government, as the briefers claimed.

On other issues, General Odierno said he supports Britain's decision to withdrawal 1,600 of its 7,000 troops from southern Iraq. He says Iraqi forces in the area have made "plenty of progress," and that soon they will be able to handle security on their own, with coalition forces in what he called an 'over-watch' role. The general says that is the plan for the entire country.

He also reports that the new Baghdad security operation is going well so far, with Iraqi commanders taking the promised even-handed approach toward both Sunni and Shi'ite groups that commit violence. But General Odierno also said it will take months to see significant results from the effort, and he urged observers to be patient.

VOASE0221_The Making of a Nation

21 February 2007

History: 1950s Popular Culture Helps Take Americans' Minds Off Fears of Nuclear War
It was also a time of growth in suburban living, rock and roll, and a rebellion in literature and art.

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VOICE ONE:

This is Phil Murray.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Rich Kleinfeldt with THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

(MUSIC)

Today, we tell what life was like in American during the nineteen fifties.

VOICE ONE:

Imagine that you are visiting the United States. What would you expect to see?

In the nineteen fifties, America was a nation that believed it was on the edge of nuclear war. It was a nation where the popular culture of television was gaining strength. It was a nation whose population was growing as never before.

在上世纪五十年代，美国正被核战的阴云所笼罩着。而电视则正逐渐引领着当时的文化潮流。同时这个国家的人口也正经历着前所未有的增长高峰。

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Josef Stalin

After the terrible suffering of World War Two, Americans thought the world would be peaceful for awhile. By nineteen fifty, however, political tensions were high again. The United States and the Soviet Union, allies in war, had become enemies.

在逃离了第二次世界大战的浩劫之后，美国人民正期盼着和平年代的到来。但在进入五十年代之后，国际政坛再次出现了紧张的局面。原本在二战时作为盟友的美国和苏联在战后开始相互对峙。

The communists had taken control of one east European nation after another. And Soviet leader Josef Stalin made it clear that he wanted communists to rule the world.

苏联已先后将东欧各国纳入其共产主义阵营中，而其领导人约瑟夫·斯大林的目标则是要让共产主义掌管整个世界。

The Soviet Union had strengthened its armed forces after the war. The United States had taken many steps to disarm. Yet it still possessed the atomic bomb. America thought it, alone, had this terrible weapon.

苏联在战后扩充了国家的军备力量。而美国则在逐步削减兵力，但他们的手中依旧握有原子弹，并且他们认为这件可怕的武器只属于美国。

VOICE ONE:

In nineteen forty-nine, a United States Air Force plane discovered strange conditions in the atmosphere. What was causing them? The answer came quickly: the Soviet Union had exploded an atomic bomb.

1949年，一架美国空军的飞机注意到了大气层中所出现的奇怪现象。人们开始对这个问题产生质疑，但答案很快就浮出水面：苏联试射了一枚原子弹。

The race was on. The two nations competed to build weapons of mass destruction. Would these weapons ever be used?

这激发了两国之间的军备竞赛。双方都不断地努力制造大规模杀伤性武器。这些武器真的有一天会被使用吗？

The American publication, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, always showed a picture of a clock. By nineteen forty-nine, the time on the clock was three minutes before midnight. That meant the world was on the edge of nuclear destruction. The atomic scientists were afraid of what science had produced. They were even more afraid of what science could produce.

在美国出版的《原子能科学家公报》上经常可以看到一张时钟的图片。在1949年，钟上的时间离午夜只差三分钟，它的寓意是这个世界正处在核战崩溃的边缘。这些科学家们为科学所带来的这一切而深感忧虑，他们更不敢想象科学以后会给这个世界带来什么。

VOICE TWO:

In nineteen-fifty, North Korea invaded South Korea. The Korean conflict increased efforts in the United States to develop a weapon more deadly than an atomic bomb. That was the hydrogen bomb. The Soviets were developing such a weapon, too.

Many Americans were afraid. Some built what they hoped would be safe rooms in or near their homes. They planned to hide in these bomb shelters during a nuclear attack.

VOICE ONE:

Other Americans, however, grew tired of being afraid. In nineteen fifty-two, the military hero of World War Two, Dwight Eisenhower, was elected president. The economy improved. Americans looked to the future with hope.

Dwight Eisenhower

One sign of hope was the baby boom. This was the big increase in the number of babies born after the war. The number of young children in America jumped from twenty-four million to thirty-five million between nineteen fifty and nineteen sixty. The bigger families needed houses. In ninetee fifty alone, one million four hundred thousand houses were built in America.

Most new houses were in the suburbs, the areas around cities. People moved to the suburbs because they thought the schools there were better. They also liked having more space for their children to play.

VOICE TWO:

Many Americans remember the nineteen fifties as the fad years. A fad is something that is extremely popular for a very short time one fad from the nineteen fifties was the Hula Hoop. The Hula Hoop was a colorful plastic tube joined to form a big circle. To play with it, you moved your hips in a circular motion. This kept it spinning around your body. The motion was like one used by Polynesian people in their native dance, the hula.

Other fads in the nineteen fifties involved clothes or hair. Some women, for example, cut and fixed their hair to look like the fur of a poodle dog. Actress Mary Martin made the poodle cut famous when she appeared in the Broadway play, "South Pacific."

VOICE ONE:

In motion pictures, Marilyn Monroe was becoming famous. Not everyone thought she was a great actress. But she had shining golden hair. And she had what was considered a perfect body. Marilyn Monroe's success did not make her happy. She killed herself in the nineteen sixties, when she was thirty-six years old.

Another famous actor of those days was James Dean. To many Americans, he was the living representation of the rebellious spirit of the young. In fact, one of his films was called, "Rebel Without a Cause." James Dean died in a car accident in nineteen fifty-five. He was twenty-four.

VOICE TWO:

The nineteen fifties saw a rebellion in American literature. As part of society lived new lives in the suburbs, another part criticized this life. These were the writers and poets of the Beat generation, including Gregory Corso, Jack Kerouac, and Allen Ginsberg. They said life was empty in nineteen-fifties America. They described the people as dead in brain and spirit.

Jackson Pollock's action painting method

Jackson Pollock represented the rebellion in art. Pollock did not paint things the way they looked. Instead, he dropped paint onto his pictures in any way he pleased. He was asked again and again: "What do your paintings mean?" He answered: "Do not worry about what they mean. They are just there ... like flowers."

VOICE ONE:

In music, the rebel was Elvis Presley. He was the king of rock-and-roll.

(MUSIC)

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was a twenty-one-year-old truck driver when he sang on television for the first time. He moved his body to the music in a way that many people thought was too sexual.

Parents and religious leaders criticized him. Young people screamed for more. They could not get enough rock-and-roll. They played it on records. They heard it on the radio. And they listened to it on the television program "American Bandstand."

(MUSIC)

This program became the most popular dance party in America. Every week, young men and women danced to the latest songs in front of the television cameras.

VOICE TWO:

During the nineteen forties, there were only a few television receivers in American homes. Some called television an invention for stupid people to watch. By the end of the nineteen fifties, however, television was here to stay. The average family watched six hours a day.

Americans especially liked games shows and funny shows with comedians such as Milton Berle and Lucille Ball. They also liked shows that offered a mix of entertainment, such as those presented by Arthur Godfrey and Ed Sullivan.

VOICE ONE:

People from other countries watching American television in the nineteen fifties might have thought that all Americans were white Christians. At that time, television failed to recognize that America was a great mix of races and religions.

Few members of racial or religious minorities were represented on television. Those who appeared usually were shown working for white people.

A movement for civil rights for black Americans was beginning to gather strength in the nineteen fifties. Many legal battles were fought to end racial separation, especially in America's schools. By the nineteen sixties, the civil rights movement would shake the nation.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Dwight Eisenhower was president for most of the nineteen fifties. He faced the problems of communism, the threat of nuclear war, and racial tensions. He had a calm way of speaking. And he always seemed to deal with problems in the same calm way. Some citizens felt he was like a father to the nation.

With Mister Eisenhower in the White House, they believed that even in a dark and dangerous world, everything would be all right.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This program of THE MAKING OF A NATION was written by Jeri Watson and produced by Paul Thompson. This is Phil Murray.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Rich Kleinfeldt. Join us again next week for another VOA Special English program about the history of the United States.

中文翻译由Carl提供 PoEnglish感谢致敬！

VOASE0221_Education Report

21 February 2007

Once You Get Into a US College, Where Should You Live?
Advice about what to consider, and what questions to ask, in Part 25 of our Foreign Student Series.

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This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

We continue our Foreign Student Series on higher education in the United States. We have talked all about the college admissions process. Now we move on to college life once you get accepted to a school. The first thing you need is a place to live. That is our subject this week.

Slusher Tower, a dormitory at Virginia Tech

Housing policies differ from school to school. Students might be able to choose whatever housing they can find. Or they might have to live in a dormitory, at least for the first year.

Dorms come in all sizes. A building may house a small number of students or many hundreds. Some have suites. Each suite has several bedrooms, a common living area and a bathroom. Six or more students may live in one suite.

Other dorms have many rooms along a common hallway, usually with two students in each room.

Many students say dormitories provide the best chance to get to know other students. Also, dorms generally cost less than apartments or other housing not owned by the school.

Most colleges and universities offer single-sex dorms, but usually males and females live in the same building. They might live on the same floors and share the same common bathrooms. But, in most cases, they may live in the same room only if they are married.

At many schools, male students can join fraternities and females can join sororities. These are mainly social organizations but members may also be able to live at their fraternity or sorority house.

Edward Spencer is the associate vice president for student affairs at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. He says it is important to understand the rules of the building in which you will live.

He advises students to ask questions before they decide about their housing. For example: If a student requires a special diet, will the school provide for it? How much privacy can a student expect? Will the school provide a single room if a student requests one?

And what about any other special needs that a student might have?

Virginia Tech, for example, had a ban against candles in dorms. But it changed that policy to let students light candles for religious purposes.

The university also has several dorms open all year so foreign students have a place to stay during vacation times.

Our Foreign Student Series continues next week. Transcripts and audio files of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.

鞭炮声中补写作业

2月17日的节目VOASE0217_In the News （←点击可进入）广播音频MP3已补上，需要的去该贴下吧。
窗外鞭炮轰隆，财神同学真的听得见吗？

VOASE0221_Health Report

21 February 2007

Test May Show Heart Patients' Risk | Napping to a Healthier Heart?
Researchers think a protein level can tell if a person with heart disease is likely to suffer a heart attack. Also, a study says afternoon sleep may cut the risk of dying from a heart attack.

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This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Researchers say they have developed a simple test that can tell if a person with heart disease is likely to suffer a heart attack. The test measures levels of a protein in the blood. The researchers say people with high levels of this protein are at high risk of heart attack, heart failure or stroke.

有研究者声称他们开发了一种能简易测试心脏病患者是否容易急性发作的方法。这项技术检测的是病人血液中某种蛋白质的含量。他们说这项指标较高的心脏病人会更容易出现急性心脏病发作、心力衰竭或中风。

Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo of the University of California in San Francisco led the team. For about four years, they studied almost one thousand patients with heart disease.

这项研究是由旧金山加州大学Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo所领导的科研小组开展的。在四年的研究过程中，他们共分析了将近一千位心脏病患者。

The researchers tested the heart disease patients for a protein called NT-proBNP. Patients with the highest levels were nearly eight times more likely than those with the lowest levels to have a heart attack, heart failure or stroke.

他们检测了这些患者血液中一个叫做NT-proBNP蛋白的含量。他们发现含量最高的那些病人的发病率要比最低的患病者高出将近八倍。

The researchers say the presence of high levels of the protein in the blood shows that the heart muscle is under pressure in some way. The study involved mostly men, so the researchers could not say for sure that the results are also true for women.

研究者认为这种蛋白质在血液中的高含量出现意味着患者的心肌处于某种受迫状态。这项研究所选取的对象主要集中于男性患者，因此研究者目前还无法确定这种检测方法是否同样适用于女性患者。

They say the patients with the highest levels of NT-proBNP were older and had other problems like diabetes or high blood pressure.

研究者还指出NT-proBNP含量最高的那些患者年龄都偏大，而且他们的身体状况还会存在一些其他异常，例如患有糖尿病，或是高血压。

Other researchers say more studies are needed to confirm if knowing the protein levels of a heart patient should affect that person's treatment. They also would like to know if more aggressive treatment could reduce the patient's chance of a heart attack or stroke.

一些其他的研究者认为他们需要更多的研究来确定在对心脏病患者的治疗过程中是否有必要参考这项蛋白的指标。他们还想知道高强度的治疗方法是否有助于降低患者出现心脏病发作或中风的机会。

The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Could a little sleep during the middle of the day reduce the risk of a heart attack? An unrelated study earlier this month in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that the answer may be yes.

In countries like the United States, afternoon naps are mostly for children. But they are common for adults in Mediterranean countries. And these countries generally have lower rates of heart disease. So scientists in the United States and Greece wondered if naps could play a part.

Twenty-three thousand healthy adults took part in the study by Harvard University and the University of Athens. Those who took thirty-minute naps three times a week had a thirty-seven percent lower risk of death from heart problems than people who did not take naps.

The researchers say napping may improve heart health by reducing stress. They say the research suggests that naps are especially good for working men. But they say not enough female subjects died during the study to judge the benefits for women.

And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. I'm Steve Ember.

中文翻译由Carl提供 PoEnglish感谢致敬！

VOASE0220_Explorations

20 February 2007

Eye to Eye With an Elephant, and Watching for Hungry Crocs, on Safari in Africa
''Safari'' comes from the Swahili and Arabic words for a trip or journey; come along and experience the sights and sounds of the wild.

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VOICE ONE:

I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

Safari explorers on the Chobe River

And I’m Barbara Klein with EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today we go on safari to experience the sights and sounds of Africa’s rich wildlife. The word “safari” comes from the Swahili and Arabic words for a trip or journey. Tourists from all over the world go to Africa to enjoy the excitement and wonder of safari explorations.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Imagine climbing into an open sided four-wheel drive vehicle early in the morning.

(SOUND)

Going on safari in a four-wheel drive vehicle

Your expert guide drives you through the entrance to Chobe National Park in Botswana. All around, you can see the huge pink sky at sunrise. The trees and thick grass move slightly in the wind. Then, suddenly you hear the movement of leaves nearby. A few meters away a huge elephant walks out of the green bushes. He is so close you can see his white ivory tusks and the deep lines in his gray skin. He seems to look right at you, then moves on to continue his search for more food. Welcome to Africa and the excitement of safari.

VOICE TWO:

There are many national parks and game reserves in Africa where you can go on safari. For example, many tourists visit Kruger National Park in the northeastern area of South Africa. This park was established in nineteen twenty-six in an effort to protect the wildlife of South Africa. It has a surface area of almost twenty thousand square kilometers. Many kinds of plants and animals live in Kruger, including the famous “Big Five.” The Big Five are five large animals: the elephant, lion, leopard, rhinoceros and buffalo.

Big game hunters created the term Big Five. For hunters, these five animals were some of the most difficult and dangerous to catch. Many tourists think mainly about seeing the Big Five while on safari. But there are many other interesting, and much smaller, animals as well.

VOICE ONE:

Kruger National Park represents a good example of the many kinds of safaris that are available to visitors. For example, in parks including Kruger, you can rent a car and drive around some areas on your own. There are also wilderness trails for safaris where you walk on a path to see the animals. A guide or ranger comes with you to keep you safe and tell about the animals. There are also mobile safaris where you sleep in a tent. The campsite moves with you as you travel through the park.

Private hotel companies operate some areas of parks such as Kruger. These hotels can be very costly. But many people think it is worth the cost to enjoy fine food and service. After all, it is not every day you can look out of your bedroom window and see a monkey or elephant standing outside.

(SOUND)

VOICE TWO:

There are several general rules to follow when traveling on safari. For example, most people wear light-colored clothing such as light brown or tan. This is because lighter colors take in less of the strong heat of the sun than dark colors do. Darker color clothes are also more likely to attract mosquitoes. It is also important to wear a hat and sunscreen lotion to protect your skin from being burned by the very hot African sun. Binoculars are also very helpful for seeing animals that are far away.

VOICE ONE:

When you are out in nature it is important to speak softly so as not to frighten the animals away. Also, never try to feed or go near one of the animals. And, if you are in a boat, keep your arms and legs out of the water. You might want to touch the water to cool off. But you never know if a hungry crocodile or other creature is nearby. By following these guidelines you can enjoy a safari that is both safe and exciting.

VOICE TWO:

Tanzania is another country with many parks and game reserves. People who like chimpanzees can visit Gombe Stream National Park on the western border of the country. This is an area of thick forests, ancient trees, and beautiful lakes. Animal expert Jane Goodall made the chimpanzee populations in this area famous. She spent many years studying the behavior of these endangered animals.

A guide can take you deep into the forest. As you sit waiting, you might hear the screams and calls of the chimps coming closer. Chimpanzees share about ninety eight percent of their genes with humans. Their actions and noises can seem very human. Being able to watch these animals playing, eating and communicating with each other in the wild is a special experience to treasure.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Chobe National Park in Botswana is another popular place for safari travel. This park is home to one of the largest elephant populations in the world. Mist Setaung is a professional safari guide who often takes visitors through Chobe. Listen as he tells about himself and how he got this exciting job.

MIST SETAUNG: “My name is Mist Setaung and I was born and raised in Botswana, a place called Maun which is a gateway to the Okavango delta. To become a guide you actually go through a course. There’s a six-month course of the Department of Wildlife, which is run by the government. Then, after this course you take an exam.

"My father offered me a job as a trainee guide and I went into the bush. Slowly and surely I started learning and eventually it got into my blood, and I just got devoted to it.”

VOICE TWO:

A hippopotamus eating lunch

With a guide like Mist you are guaranteed to see new animals and learn a great deal. One excellent way to see the wildlife of Chobe is by boat. Mist can take you on a boat ride up and down the river so you can see the animals as they come to drink or play in the water. Hippopotamuses like to stand in the grass and eat most of the day. Or, they enter the water to stay cool. In fact, a hippo can stay under water for up to six minutes. They are very good at hiding in the water. If you look carefully, you can see their two eyes looking out of the water at you. You know they are near when you hear the strange deep noise they make with their nose.

(SOUND)

These animals look too big and fat to be dangerous. But they can be very aggressive and protective of their territory.

VOICE ONE:

A paradise whydah

If you do not see any big animals near the river, Mist can tell you about birds instead. He can point out the male paradise whydah with its unusually long black tail feathers. Or, he might show you one of many guinea fowl, which he jokingly says are also called “Chobe chickens.” He can even make noises that sound just like the birdcalls.

VOICE TWO:

There are also many smaller animals to watch for. Antelopes of all kinds live in the park. There are gnus or wildebeests with their flat wide faces. Fine-boned impalas walk around as gracefully as dancers. Solid warthogs explore the bush on their short little legs. These strange-looking wild pigs are dark with long yellow tusks coming out of their mouth. They are not very pretty animals. Mist says "they have a face only a mother could love."

Mist can also tell you about conservation efforts to protect wild animals. Some animals such as the black rhinoceros have almost been destroyed because poachers illegally hunt and kill them. Many parks across Africa have had trouble with poachers. In Chobe there is an army camp with workers who make sure that poachers stay away.

VOICE ONE:

It might surprise you that there are too many of some other animals. For example, in parts of Chobe the large elephant population has actually harmed the environment. When elephants eat huge quantities of leaves and grasses, other animals have trouble finding enough food to eat. And, elephants are not gentle eaters. They can tear out trees and bushes as they feed. In the dry season these dead plants can increase the danger of fires.

VOICE TWO:

Chobe elephants at sunset

If you are lucky, you can enjoy sunset while floating down the Chobe River. Yellow and orange colors fill the sky at this hour and are reflected in the water. The sun slowly starts to slip behind the trees. But before it is dark, you see a large movement of gray bodies. Three families of elephants have come to the water's edge.

More than thirty elephants are quietly drinking and eating. There are huge old elephants with large tusks. There are the mothers who lead each family group. Then, there are the babies who play and run around the thick legs of the adult elephants. The elephants look up and watch as your boat turns away and you head back to camp at the end of another day on safari in Africa.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I’m Steve Ember.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Barbara Klein. You can read and listen to this program on our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English.

VOASE0220_Science In the News

20 February 2007

Scientists Study Children Who Feel No Pain
Recent findings from research into pain, including a British study that shows that women may feel pain more than men.

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VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I'm Faith Lapidus.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Bob Doughty. Today we tell about some recent studies of pain, and new possibilities for controlling it.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Have you ever wished you could not feel pain? There are people in the world with this ability. They do not know when they are hurting. If you have ever broken a leg or given birth, this might sound good to you. But a person unable to feel physical pain can be in danger and not know it.

Last year, Nature magazine published a report about six children who have never suffered pain. C. Geoffrey Woods of the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research in England and his team wrote the report.

VOICE TWO:

The six children come from three families from northern Pakistan. The research team found the children after hearing about a boy who apparently felt no pain. The boy stood on burning coals and stabbed his arms with knives to earn money. He died in a fall before the researchers could meet him.

But the team was able to find members of the boy's extended family. They also seemed unable to feel pain.

These children were six to fourteen years of age. They sometimes burned themselves with hot liquids or steam. They sat on hot heating devices. They cut their lips with their teeth, but felt no pain. Two of the children bit off one-third of their tongue. Yet they could feel pressure and tell differences between hot and cold.

VOICE ONE:

Doctor Woods and his research team studied DNA -- deoxyribonucleic acid -- from the children. They also examined DNA from the children's parents. The team found that all had a gene with a mistake, or fault. Except for the genetic fault, the children had normal intelligence and health. The researchers found that each child received a faulty version of the gene from a parent.

The gene is called SCN9A. It gives orders to a protein that serves as a passageway for the chemical sodium. All nerve cells have such passages. This is how pain signals from a wound or injury are communicated to the spinal cord and brain.

VOICE TWO:

Two years ago, investigators at Yale University in the United States discovered something important about SCN9A. They linked it to a rare condition in which patients suffer painful burning in their feet or hands. The problems of these patients were nearly opposite to those of the children who felt no pain. In patients with the burning hands and feet, SCN9A was too active.

The findings of the British and American groups may mean better medical help for pain. Doctor Woods' team says this could happen if medicine can be developed to control the faulty gene. That would be welcome news to people whose pain resists current medicines.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Another report says many Americans believe they are suffering more pain now than in earlier years. The National Center for Health Statistics released the report last November. The center is an agency of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Twenty five percent of American adults said they had a full day of pain in the month before they were questioned. Ten percent were more deeply affected. Their pain continued for a year or more.

Amy Bernstein was lead research writer for the study. Miz Bernstein said pain is rarely considered as a separate condition. Yet she said costs linked to pain overload the health care system.

VOICE TWO:

The study found that lower back pain was a big problem. More than twenty five percent of adults who were asked said they had lower back pain in the past three months.

Painful knees caused the most trouble of the body's joints. But some victims of knee pain are doing something about it. They are having operations to replace the painful joint. Their replacement knees are man-made, or artificial.

Starting in nineteen ninety-two, rates of hospital stays for knee replacement rose almost ninety percent among older Americans. The patients were sixty-five years of age or older.

VOICE ONE:

Americans also reported head pain. Fifteen percent of adults said they suffered a migraine or other severe headache in the past three months. This pain affected young people three times as much as older adults.

Reports of severe joint pain increased with age. Women said they had painful joints more often than men.

The study showed that painful conditions caused increased use of narcotic drugs. Narcotics can be strong painkillers. The study compared two periods. One period lasted six years and ended in nineteen ninety-four. The other began in nineteen ninety-nine and ended four years ago. Between those periods, the percentage of adults who said they used a narcotic for pain in the past month rose from three to four percent.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

Doctors usually order opiates for patients with severe pain. Opiates include morphine, codeine and methadone. Most of these drugs come from the poppy flower. Doctors have used one opiate, opium, to treat pain for more than two thousand years. A newer drug, oxycodone, is called an opioid. An opioid is similar to an opiate. Doctors use it to control moderate to severe pain over a long period.

For example, a woman from Rockville, Maryland, has a painful back. Her doctor says he cannot operate on it without putting her in danger of losing the use of her legs. The woman was in severe pain much of the time until the doctor ordered a form of oxycodone. She still has pain at some times of day. But she is able to work at home and take part in at least some of the activities she loves.

VOICE ONE:

Many doctors order, or prescribe, narcotic drugs for patients with continuing severe pain like that of the Maryland woman. Narcotic drugs may help to decrease pain, but can make many people sleepy. They also can be addictive. The user may need increasing amounts to get the same effect.

Some doctors have prescribed more narcotic drugs than are medically necessary. Doctors face possible arrest and jail sentences if they knowingly order narcotics for other than medical reasons.

VOICE TWO:

Non-medical use of oxycodone and similar drugs has killed many Americans. Some people break them up and mix them with other drugs.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an increase in the number of accidental deaths from prescription drugs. C.D.C. officials say the number increased more than sixty percent between nineteen ninety-nine and two thousand four. That made accidental drug-poisoning the second largest cause of accidental death in the United States. Only traffic accidents rated higher.

VOICE ONE:

The C.D.C. got its information from official death reports. The reports do not always clearly state which drugs are involved. But researchers say they believe painkillers ordered by doctors caused the increase.

Clearly, strong painkillers can be dangerous, but many patients need them. To meet this need, some doctors and hospitals today provide special services for such patients. For example, doctors who teach at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine in Ohio offer advice and treatment for several kinds of pain.

(MUSIC)

VOICE TWO:

As you hear this program, research into pain continues around the world. Recently, an English study suggested that women feel pain more than men. Psychologist Ed Keogh says the study found that women also feel pain in more body areas than men. It also found that women suffer pain more often and for longer periods than men.

In the study, several people at the University of Bath held one arm in warm water. Then they put the arm in icy cold water. Both men and women were told to think about the physical nature of the pain. They were not to think about their emotional reactions to it. Using this psychological trick, men said they felt less pain than women.

VOICE ONE:

Mister Keogh says many explanations of these differences depend on genetic and hormonal influences. But he says psychological and social reasons also are important.

One medical worker who has cared for hundreds of people says it is never fair to say someone is making too much of their pain. She adds that no one can ever know what other people are feeling.

VOICE TWO:

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Jerilyn Watson. Our producer was Brianna Blake. This is Bob Doughty.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.